POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE

POLITICS & GOVERNANCE (162)

By Kingsley Agim

 

The Cross River State Government, in partnership with the Bank of Industry (BOI), has unveiled a ₦2 billion matching fund for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), while equipping entrepreneurs with the knowledge and requirements needed to access the facility.

The initiative was highlighted during an interactive townhall session held at the Prof. Eyo Ita House in Calabar, Friday, where business owners, financial experts and government officials gathered to discuss opportunities for enterprise growth and economic development across the state.

Speaking at the event, the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the Cross River State Microfinance and Enterprise Development Agency (CRSMEDA), Mr. Great Ogban, said the engagement underscored the commitment of Governor Bassey Otu's administration to expanding access to affordable credit and supporting grassroots economic growth.

According to him, the state government is determined to remove barriers that have traditionally limited the growth of small businesses and to create an enabling environment for entrepreneurs to thrive.

It has been stressed that education is most effective when young people are not only learners, but active partners in shaping the system.

The assertion was made by the Bauchi State Commissioner of Education, Dr Lawal Mohammed Rimin-Zayan, in a keynote address he delivered on Saturday on the commemoration of the 2026 International Day of Education with the theme ‘The Power of Youth in Co-Creating Education’.

He said, “Education is the foundation of national development. However, for our education system to remain strong, relevant, and future-ready, it must reflect the voices, creativity, and energy of the youth it serves.

“This year’s theme reminds us that young people today are innovators, digital creators, peer educators, and community leaders. When we involve them in school governance, learning design, innovation, and advocacy, education becomes more meaningful and responsive to real-life challenges.

“As a government, we believe that youth participation strengthens accountability, improves learning outcomes, and builds leadership for tomorrow. That is why we continue to promote platforms that encourage student voice, youth engagement, digital learning, and inclusive participation.

“In co-creating education, we must also ensure inclusion, reaching girls, learners living with disabilities, and children in vulnerable and hard-to-reach communities. Every young person deserves not only access to education, but the opportunity to contribute to shaping it.

“We appreciate the strong collaboration with UNICEF and school Communities who continue to support innovation, inclusion, and system strengthening in our education sector.

“As we mark this important day, I call on all stakeholders to continue investing in youth leadership, safe learning spaces, and inclusive learning opportunities because when youth are empowered,
education thrives.

“In conclusion, let us remember that the future of education cannot be designed for young people without young people. Together, let us harness the power of youth to co-create an education system that leaves no one behind.”

Speaking earlier, Education Specialist with Bauchi Field Office of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Ado Abdulrahman Ibrahim, stressed the importance of education as it shapes the future of the society.

He added that digital education promotes self-reliance and confidence-building among the youth; therefore, young people should seek education at all costs.

The UNICEF Education Specialist emphasised active participation in the education system, tasking the government on the need to create a conducive atmosphere for quality education for the young people.

In a continued effort to improve the lives of ordinary citizens, particularly the less privileged, the Bauchi State Government, through the Office of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), has launched an empowerment programme across the 20 local government areas of the state.

As part of the initiative, the agency distributed a total of ₦5.5 million in cash grants and 108 goats to 490 beneficiaries across the 20 LGAs to promote self-reliance and sustainable livelihoods.

The Bauchi State Commissioner for information and communication, Hon. Usman Shehu Usman, has reaffirmed his commitment to partnering with the Association of Northern Nigerian Students (Zero Tolerance for Corruption) in the sustained fight against corruption.

The Commissioner made the pledge after being decorated as an Anti-Corruption Ambassador and conferred with the title of Grand Commander of Northern Nigerian Students (GCNNS) by the Association.

The Bauchi State Ministry of Education has commenced a performance review of the life skills component of the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) project, aimed at improving implementation and programme outcomes.

BM

Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to strengthening security institutions to safeguard lives and property across the state.

The governor, who was represented by his Senior Special Assistant on Security Matters, Sulaiman Jibrin, gave the assurance at the 2025 Base Socio-Cultural Activities (BASA), a colourful event featuring cultural displays and games, held at the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Base, Bauchi.

By Husam Dughman

Following the initiation of strikes by Israel and the US against the Islamic Republic of Iran on the 28th of February 2026, the BBC published an article by its international editor Jeremy Bowen in which he describes the US-Israel attack as a war of choice, rather than a preemptive war as described by Israel. The reason which he gives for his view is that Iran did not pose an imminent threat to Israel or the US. Yet, according to Cambridge Dictionary, the meaning of the verb preempt is “to prevent something from happening by taking action first.” Others such as The Britannica Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries, and Collins Dictionary state the same thing, with no reference to any “imminence.” That is not the only thing the BBC got wrong.

By Agbaje Theo

Prince Bassey Edet Otu, Executive Governor of Cross River State

The ongoing public commentary portraying Cross River State’s demand over the disputed 76 oil wells as an “assault on the rule of law” is deeply misleading.
What Cross River seeks is not a reversal of any Supreme Court judgment, but the faithful administrative implementation of what the Supreme Court actually ordered.

The Supreme Court decision in AG Cross River State v. AG Federation (2012) did not “award” the 76 oil wells to Akwa Ibom State.

Monday, 26 January 2026 01:51

Do The Leftists Hate Immune Systems?

Written by

By Husam Dughman

O Iranian people! I hope you are not surprised by the shameful dearth of support from other countries in the world for your current uprising. You are not fighting against Israel. You are not fighting against the US. You are not fighting against Britain. You are not fighting against France. You are fighting against obscurantist Islamists. Those are the darlings of the leftists, especially in Western countries. They are probably the darlings of the leftists everywhere, as can be attested by the significant support given by Iran’s leftists to the Ayatollahs in their conflict with the Shah of Iran in the late 1970s.

(LETTER TO EUROPE)

MAGAmerica’s man-boy: Te ti tint gi mi no bel ti pias…I wan tu taah giinyand! An irritant boy who chases away all his friends and embraces his enemies and foes will not live to tell the story. An irritant boy who chases away all his friends and embraces his enemies and foes will not live to tell the story.

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